Pendulum-regulator



(Nh Model.)

J. GANSS.

yPENDULUM REGULATOR.

Patented July- 14, 1885.

N. PETERS. Pnnmumagnpher. walmngmn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB GANSS, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ANSONIA CLOCK COMPANY, OF ANSAONIA, CONNECTICUT.

PENDULUVi-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\To. 322,097, dated July 14, 1885.

Appliraiion filed April 23, 1885.

cation.

My invention relates to pendulum-regulators which comprise an arbor or shaft extending forward to the front of the clockmovement, and to which a key may be applied for turning it and s regulate the pendulum, which is attheback ofthe movement.

rIhe object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable combination of mechanism through which the turning of the regulating` arbor or spindle will act upon the pendulumrod to both raise and lower it positively, and which is of such nature that after turning the arbor or spindle sufficiently to effect the desired rangeof regulation its further turning will not operate to move the pendulum-rod up or down, and hence will obviate any liability of straining or breaking these parts by excessive turning of the regulating arbor or spindle.

In carrying out my invention the pendulumrod is connected at its upper end with a vertically-moving rack-bar with which engages a pinion or wheel, and this pinion or wheel is operated by a worm or screw xed upon the inner end of the regulating arbor or spindle, whereby the turning of the arbor or spindle produces rotation of the pinion or wheel, and through the teeth upon the rack-bar raises or lowers the pendulum-rod positively, so as toI decrease or increase the length of rod below the center of oscillation. The rack upon the rod,which is attached to the upper end of the pendulum-rod,is very short, and at the upper and lower extremities of its movement the rack passes out of gear with its actuating wheel or pinion, and hence the further turning of the latter cannot act to raise or lower the pendulum. When the rack-bar is moved up ward to the end of its range of movement, the weight of the pendulum and rod causes the lower tooth of the rack to rest upon the actuating pinion or wheel, so that on a reverse movement of the latter it will readily come into gear with the rack; and I applya spring (No modi-l.)

to the raclcbar which acts to raise it, and which, when the rack is adj usted to thelower end of its range of movement, is in a state of tension and keeps the upper tooth of the rack resting against the actuating pinion or wheel, so that on a reverse movement of the latter it will readily come into gear with the rack.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a rear elevation of such parts of a clock as are necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the rackbar and pendulum adjusted to their lowermost position, and Fig. 4c is a similar detail View showing the rack-bar and pendulum rod ad-` justed to their topmost position.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A B designate, respectively, the back and front plates of the frame of the movement, and C designates the posts connecting them. I have not shown either the time-train or the striking-train of the movement, as my invention in nowise relates to them.

D designates the pendulum-rod, having at its upper end the flattened flexible portion D', which passes through the slotted post a, projecting from the plate u', attached to the plate A of the movement. rlhe upper end of the flexible portion D of the pendulum is hung in a head or top piece, b, to which is rigidly secured a rack bar, E, extending upward therefrom, and working in the slideways c, which is secured to the plate c. In the bridge which forms the slideway c is journaled a small pinion or wheel, d, the teeth of which gear into a rack, e, formed on the bar E; and hence it will be seen that by turning or rotating the wheel or pinion d the rack-bar E and its attached pendulum will be raised or lowered so as to decrease or increase the length of the pendulumrod below the slotted post c, which forms the axis of oscillation.

F designates the regulator arbor or spindle, which extends to the front of the movement and is there squared, as shown at f, to receive a key for turning it. At the inner end of the arbor or spindle F is a worm or screw, f', which engages with the wheel or pinion d. rlhe worm or screw f serves both to turn the pinion or wheel d and through it to regulate IOO the length ofthe pendulum-rod; and it also serves to hold the pendulum-rod against accidental lengthening or shortening by its cngagement with the wheel or pinion d.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rack e upon the bar Eis short or has only few teeth, and the slideways c and slotted post a, which form the upper and lower abutments or stops, limiting the range of movement of the pendulum-rod, permit the rack-bar to be raised and lowered to such an extent that the teeth of the rack @will pass out of engagement with the wheel or pinion d,- hence it will be seen that when the arbor or spindle F has been turned to lower the rack-bar and pendulum-rod to the position shown in Fig. 3, or to raise them to the position shown in Fig. 4, the teeth of the rack e pass out ofgear with the pinion d, and hence the further turning of the arbor or spindle F will not act to raise or lower the pendulum at all, and will not produce any straining or breakage of parts. If the rack-bar and pendulumrod be adjusted upward to the position shown in Fig. 4 their weight will cause the lowermost tooth of the rack e to rest upon the wheel or pinion d, and hence the teeth of the wheel or pinion will readily eomeinto gear with the rack when the wheel or pinion is turned in a direction to lower the rack-bar and pendulumrod. I have shown a spiral spring, tf/,applied to the upper end of the rack-bar E above the slideway c, and when the rack-bar and pendulum have been lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3 this spring will be under tension, and will keep the upper tooth of the rack pressed against the wheel or pinion (l, so that on the latter being turned to raise the rackbar its teeth will readily come into gear with the teeth of the rack e. It will, therefore, be

seen that by my invention I provide a simple mechanism which acts positively to both raise and lower the pendulum-rod, and which is so constructed as to avoid any straining or breakage of parts by excessive turning of the regu- It is not necessary lator arbor or spindle F.

that the worm or screw f should engage with the wheel or pinion d, as it might engage with another wheel or pinion fixed on the same shaft; but the arrangement here shown is preferable because of its simplicity.

Vhat I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. The combination, with a pendulum-rod and a regulator arbor or spindle, of arackbar from which the pendulum-rod is suspended, a wheel or pinion engaging with the teeth of the rack-bar, and a worm or screw on the regulator arbor or spindle for turning said wheel or pinion, substantially as herein described.

2. rIhe combination, with a penduluinrod and a regulator arbor or spindle, of a rackbar from which the pendulum-rod is suspended, a wheel or pinion engaging with the teeth of the rack, a worm or screw on the regulatorarbor for turning said wheel or pinion, a slotted post forming the axis of oscillation for the pendulum-rod, and a slideway for the rackbar, the length of the rack being so proportioned that it will give a range of movement to the rack-bar less than the distance allowed between the slotted post and slideway, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a pendulum-rod and regulator arbor or spindle, of a rack-bar from which the pendulum-rod is suspended,a wheel or pinion engaging with the teeth of the rack, a worm or screw on the regulator-arbor for turning said wheel or pinion, the rack being so proportioned that it may be raised and lowered out of engagement with said wheel or pinion, and a spring for sustaining the weight of the rack-bar and pendulum when the rack is lowered out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel or pinion, substantially as herein described.

JACOB GANSS.

Vitnesses:

F. C. TIL'roN, T. J. PALMER. 

